Government response makes mockery of petition
new-zealand-labour-party
Wed Jul 28 2010 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Government response makes mockery of petition
Wednesday, 28 July 2010, 4:35 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
**Government response makes mockery of petition to Parliament
**
Labour Commerce spokesperson Lianne Dalziel says that the Government’s response to the Commerce Committee’s report on the petition of John Andrew Dickson has made a mockery of the process.
“What is the point of coming to Parliament, making your case and convincing every MP on the select committee that the Government should take action, when the Government ignores the recommendation,” Lianne Dalziel said.
Lianne Dalziel, who chairs the committee, said that she was impressed with the quality of Mr Dickson’s submission.
“The committee did not agree that Mr Dickson had proved the causal link between the failure of the Commerce Commission to provide timely advice and the subsequent loss of his business, which would have led to a recommendation for compensation.
“However, we did believe that the failure of the Commerce Commission to meet acceptable standards led to a moral obligation on the part of the Government to make an ex gratia payment,” Lianne Dalziel said.
“The Government has totally ignored the significance of the report we received from the Ombudsman. The Government response states the report found no causality between the loss Mr Dickson suffered and the action or inaction of the Commerce Commission or any arm of government.
“However, its response fails to state that the Ombudsman ventured the view that the original actions of the Commerce Commission were wrong in that they utilised the wrong law for approving the merger between Wrightsons and Dalgety, without the protection of the conditions Mr Dickson believed he could rely on.”
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Lianne Dalziel said she was appalled at the Government’s conclusion that ‘while the Commission may have failed as a matter of best practice, that failure was not exceptional and does not warrant an ex gratia payment’.
“Is this the standard the Government should be tolerating? Mr Dickson deserved better treatment from the Government, and I am at a loss as to why the Government would ignore the unanimous decision of a select committee.”
ENDS
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